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Arkansas judicial elections
Judges in Arkansas are elected in nonpartisan elections. These general elections take place on the same day as the primary elections for non-judicial races in the state. Elections take place in even-numbered years. Judges must run for re-election in nonpartisan elections for subsequent terms.[1]
Arkansas is one of 12 states that uses nonpartisan elections to select judges and does not use retention elections for subsequent terms. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.
| Supreme Court | Courts of Appeal | Circuit Courts | District Courts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan elections - Eight-year terms | Nonpartisan elections - Eight-year terms | Nonpartisan elections - Six-year terms | Nonpartisan elections - Four-year terms |
Elections
- Arkansas Supreme Court elections, 2024
- Arkansas intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
- Arkansas Supreme Court elections, 2024
- Arkansas Supreme Court elections, 2022
- Arkansas intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
- Arkansas Supreme Court elections, 2020
- Arkansas intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
- Arkansas Supreme Court elections, 2018
- Arkansas intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
- Arkansas local trial court judicial elections, 2018
- Arkansas judicial elections, 2016
- Arkansas judicial elections, 2014
- Arkansas judicial elections, 2012
- Arkansas judicial elections, 2010
- Arkansas Supreme Court elections
Election rules
General election
Judicial candidates compete in a nonpartisan general election on the same day as the primary for non-judicial elections. If no candidate wins a majority, the two candidates with the most votes participate in a runoff. If a runoff is required, it takes place on the same day as the general election for partisan races, and runoff candidates appear on the general election ballot.[2][3]
Notes
If a vacancy is filled by gubernatorial appointment, the appointed judge or justice is prohibited from running for the seat in the next election. Instead, he or she must step down or run for a different position.[4][5]
Filing
Candidates choose whether to file by petition or pay a filing fee.[2]
Dates
Candidates who choose to pay the filing fee do so with the secretary of state, as opposed to a political party. The filing period takes place in the last week of February, ending on the first day of March. Candidates who choose to file petitions must do so between 53 and 46 days before the beginning of the party filing period. Candidates have 60 days to gather signatures before the deadline.[2][6]
Petition filing
There are different requirements for different courts for candidates filing by petition. In all cases, the "number of electors" refers to the number of electors in the district who voted for governor in the preceding election. Either a flat number of signatures or the indicated percentage of electors, whichever is smaller, is used.
- Supreme court: 10,000 signatures or 3 percent of the number of electors
- Court of appeals: 2,000 signatures or 3 percent of the number of electors
- Circuit court: 2,000 signatures or 3 percent of the number of electors
- District court: 2,000 signatures or 1 percent of the number of electors[2]
Fee filing
The State Board of Election Commissioners established the following fees for candidates not filing by petition. The candidate pays the fee to the secretary of state upon filing:
- Chief justice of the supreme court: 6 percent of the annual salary
- Associate justice of the supreme court: 6 percent of the annual salary
- Court of appeals: 5 percent of the annual salary
- Circuit court: 4 percent of the annual salary
- State district court: 3 percent of the annual salary
Local district judges have separate filing fees, decided by the locality.[2]
History of judicial election changes in Arkansas
During the 2000 election, voters in the state approved a change to the Arkansas Constitution. Listed on the ballot as Amendment 3, this constitutional amendment provided for judges to be chosen in nonpartisan elections. Before the amendment took effect, candidates were identified by their political party on primary and general election ballots and were elected in partisan elections. Amendment 3 is also known as "Amendment 80."
Beginning in 1970, judicial reform advocates supported merit selection for appellate court judges and nonpartisan elections for judges in the lower courts. However, many judges, legislators and media members were opposed to merit selection because they felt it would amount to the legal profession preventing citizens from having a say in the selection process. After decades, Amendment 3 was developed as a compromise to reform the judicial selection process in the state. The amendment also allows the legislature, by voter approval, to institute a merit selection system for the appellate courts in the future. The amendment specifies the requirements for such a system if it is put in place.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Elections division," 2011, accessed April 24, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Arkansas Secretary of State, "2014 nonpartisan elections calendar," accessed April 24, 2014
- ↑ Justia US Law, "§ 7-10-102 - Nonpartisan election of judges and justices," 2012, accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Our Voices Arkansas, "Arkansas judiciary 101: Circuit court judges," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Arkansas Judiciary, "Arkansas Supreme Court," accessed February 22, 2016
- ↑ Justia US Law, "§ 7-7-203 - Dates," 2012, accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Judicial Selection in the States: Arkansas, Overview," accessed March 24, 2014
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Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Arkansas, Western District of Arkansas
State courts:
Arkansas Supreme Court • Arkansas Court of Appeals • Arkansas Circuit Courts • Arkansas District Courts • Arkansas City Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arkansas • Arkansas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arkansas
